Snakes and spiders in Vilas County, Wisconsin
Vilas County, home of Eagle River, has 4 snake and 36 spider species on record, from 45 licensed snake and 930 spider records. No venomous snake or spider reaches the county list, but the timber rattlesnake, the eastern massasauga and the northern black widow are on the Wisconsin list: treat any snake or spider like them as venomous until identified.
What snakes are in Vilas County?
In all, 4 snake species are on the Vilas County list. The most recorded are the common garter snake (29), the smooth green snake (6) and the red-bellied snake (5).
| # | Species | Records | Share of Wisconsin records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Common garter snake Thamnophis sirtalis | 29 | 6% |
| 2 | Smooth green snake Opheodrys vernalis | 6 | 22% |
| 3 | Red-bellied snake Storeria occipitomaculata | 5 | 7% |
| 4 | Northern water snake Nerodia sipedon | 3 | 4% |
What spiders are in Vilas County?
In all, 36 spider species are on the Vilas County list. The most recorded are Cicurina brevis (33), the forest wolf spider (29) and the greater ant-mimic corinne spider (29). Vilas County holds more than half of all Wisconsin records of Cicurina brevis, the forest wolf spider, the greater ant-mimic corinne spider and the shiny wolf spider.
| # | Species | Records | Share of Wisconsin records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cicurina brevis | 33 | 100% |
| 2 | Forest wolf spider Hogna frondicola | 29 | 83% |
| 3 | Greater ant-mimic corinne spider Phrurotimpus borealis | 29 | 94% |
| 4 | Shiny wolf spider Pardosa moesta | 27 | 68% |
| 5 | Cicurina itasca | 25 | 100% |
| 6 | Zelotes fratris | 25 | 93% |
| 7 | Agroeca ornata | 22 | 100% |
| 8 | Trochosa terricola | 22 | 92% |
| 9 | Pale sheetweb weaver Bathyphantes pallidus | 19 | 90% |
| 10 | Centromerus sylvaticus | 18 | 95% |
| 11 | Pale thin-legged wolf spider Pardosa distincta | 18 | 82% |
| 12 | Drassyllus niger | 17 | 100% |
| 13 | Eridantes erigonoides | 17 | 89% |
| 14 | Scotinella minnetonka | 17 | 94% |
| 15 | Trabeops aurantiacus | 16 | 89% |
| 16 | Walckenaeria pallida | 16 | 100% |
| 17 | Agroeca pratensis | 15 | 100% |
| 18 | Ozyptila distans | 15 | 100% |
| 19 | Lepthyphantes intricatus | 14 | 100% |
| 20 | Scylaceus pallidus | 14 | 88% |
| 21 | Ubiquitous thin-legged wolf spider Pardosa xerampelina | 13 | 100% |
| 22 | Centromerus persolutus | 12 | 100% |
| 23 | Tan crab spider Xysticus ferox | 12 | 67% |
| 24 | Walckenaeria directa | 12 | 100% |
| 25 | Pocadicnemis americana | 11 | 100% |
| 26 | Araneus boneti | 10 | 100% |
| 27 | Dark fishing spider Dolomedes tenebrosus | 3 | 6% |
| 28 | Dock spider Dolomedes scriptus | 3 | 14% |
| 29 | Goldenrod crab spider Misumena vatia | 3 | 5% |
| 30 | Bronze jumper Eris militaris | 1 | 2% |
| 31 | Furrow orbweaver Larinioides cornutus | 1 | 2% |
| 32 | Giant lichen orbweaver Araneus bicentenarius | 1 | 9% |
| 33 | Marbled orbweaver Araneus marmoreus | 1 | 4% |
| 34 | Nordmann's orbweaver spider Araneus nordmanni | 1 | 14% |
| 35 | Dimorphic jumper Maevia inclemens | — | — |
| 36 | Nursery web spider Pisaurina mira | — | — |
What stands out in Vilas County
Species for which Vilas County holds a large share of all Wisconsin records: Cicurina itasca, 100% (25 of 25); Cicurina brevis, 100% (33 of 33); Agroeca ornata, 100% (22 of 22); the greater ant-mimic corinne spider, 94% (29 of 31); Zelotes fratris, 93% (25 of 27); Trochosa terricola, 92% (22 of 24); the pale sheetweb weaver, 90% (19 of 21); the forest wolf spider, 83% (29 of 35).
Common in Wisconsin, not on the Vilas County list
Among the spiders most recorded across Wisconsin, these do not reach the county list: the zebra spider (123 statewide), the bold jumper (109 statewide), the black-and-yellow argiope (103 statewide), the banded garden spider (63 statewide), the Asian wall jumper (60 statewide) and the familiar jumping spider (60 statewide). Few records here can mean the species is rare in the county, or that few people have looked.
Harmless lookalikes in Vilas County
Copperheads are not on the Wisconsin list, but GBIF holds 1 copperhead record of any license in Wisconsin (eastern copperhead 1): treat any snake like this as venomous until identified. Harmless species often taken for them here: the northern water snake. No cottonmouths reach the county list, and GBIF holds no cottonmouth record for Wisconsin under any license, so one reported here is most likely a harmless lookalike: the northern water snake.
Vilas County among Wisconsin counties
By licensed snake records Vilas County ranks 5th of 66 Wisconsin counties with any.
Other Wisconsin counties with their own page: Dane County.
The whole state: venomous species in Wisconsin, all snakes, all spiders.
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.